Minister pledges the continuation of HIPs

Posted: 26 Jul 2006 09:58:13 GMT

Ruth Kelly, secretary of state, has given assurances to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) that Home Information Packs (HIPs) will not be abandoned.

After Tony Blair announced last week that mandatory Home Condition Reports (HCRs) would be dropped from the HIPs legislation, opposition MPs argued that the policy appeared to be falling apart.

In spite of this Ms Kelly had a meeting with Mike Ockenden, director general for AHIPP, and gave him clarification of the government's position on HIPs.

Mr Ockenden stated: "Following my discussions with Ms Kelly I feel assured of her confidence in both HIPs and the HCR and I would offer my reassurance to all those rocked by the announcement made last week.

"Opposition parties may be claiming victory, but their cheers are both premature and unfounded. As careful readers of the Minister's statement will be aware - Home Information Packs will happen on June 1st 2007 and HCRs are still a vital element of the pack."

The government is continuing with the legislation despite former supporters now being against the bill. Consumer watchdog Which?, a formally keen backer of HIPs, came out against the packs last week.

It appears that HCRs will still be a part of HIPs but they will not be mandatory when the bill is first enacted. The government would have to change its position on HCRs to amend the mandatory element of the packs after they are established.



© Houseladder Ltd


MOST POPULAR

FREE Property Advert
Selling or Letting? List Your Property FREE Now

FREE eBook worth 47
How To Sell Or Let FASTER and Save 1000s

FREE House Prices
How much did next door sell for. Plus are prices going UP or Down in Your Town

MORE UK PROPERTY NEWS: July 2006

London house prices misrepresent overall trend  Posted: 31 Jul 2006 09:41:57 GMT
House prices in London continue to shore up a property market that is beginning to follow predictions of a comedown, research suggests.

Landlords at risk from unprofessional letting agents  Posted: 31 Jul 2006 09:39:27 GMT
Letting agents who take on a massive amount of houses to let and then provide a low standard of service are putting landlords at risk.

British households throw away £144.5 million   Posted: 28 Jul 2006 10:00:31 GMT
Households in Britain are overpaying on their home insurance by an average of £1.7 billion each year.

The dream of getting on the property ladder  Posted: 28 Jul 2006 08:59:25 GMT
People in Britain would rather get on the property ladder and be free of huge debts than be famous or have mountains of money.

Homeowners move house 2.6 times  Posted: 27 Jul 2006 10:33:11 GMT
On average people move house 2.6 times through a whole period of home ownership, new figures suggest.

Banks urge caution on house prices  Posted: 27 Jul 2006 10:26:14 GMT
A lull in the housing market has been widely tipped by many banks as house prices become increasingly out of proportion with people's salaries.

Rural housing shortage  Posted: 26 Jul 2006 10:55:49 GMT
Campaign groups are calling for the government to address the shortage in affordable rural housing.

Minister pledges the continuation of HIPs  Posted: 26 Jul 2006 09:58:13 GMT
Ruth Kelly, secretary of state, has given assurances to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) that Home Information Packs (HIPs) will not be abandoned.

Renting a new home can make you healthier  Posted: 25 Jul 2006 10:04:24 GMT
The Scottish housing agency has compiled research that suggests when tenants move to a new home there are a range of health benefits.

Survey shows people would prefer a garden  Posted: 25 Jul 2006 10:03:34 GMT
A garden can prove to be a key factor in persuading prospective buyers to purchase a property, according to new research.

Interest rates don't have to rise this year  Posted: 24 Jul 2006 17:11:24 GMT
The Item Club funded by the Ernst & Young group has stated in its latest report that the interest rate should remain at 4.5 per cent.

Consumer groups angry at fiasco of Hips  Posted: 24 Jul 2006 17:08:51 GMT
The government's Home Information Packs (Hips) scheme has been attacked yet again, this time by consumer watchdog Which?.

Rented sector awaits clarification  Posted: 21 Jul 2006 10:03:40 GMT
The government has been instructed to "make things happen" regarding the forthcoming tenancy deposit scheme, after it was revealed it will be delayed until April 2007.

Brits relying on property for retirement income  Posted: 21 Jul 2006 10:01:52 GMT
A new survey indicates that a significant proportion of British homeowners see their own property as central to their retirement income.

Sellers 'will benefit from Hips U-turn'  Posted: 20 Jul 2006 11:00:04 GMT
The government's latest decision on Home Information Packs (Hips) has been welcomed by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

OFT gets tough on estate agents  Posted: 20 Jul 2006 10:59:11 GMT
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has amended or removed a number of unfair terms from the contracts of 25 estate agency businesses.

Government backtracks on Hips  Posted: 19 Jul 2006 11:01:18 GMT
The government has confirmed that Home Condition Reports (HCRs) will only be a voluntary part of Home Information Packs (Hips) when they are introduced in June next year.

Optimistic homeowners expect price rises  Posted: 19 Jul 2006 10:57:46 GMT
Britons are six times more likely to believe that their local area will outperform the national housing market than trail behind it, according to new research.

London boom 'widens north/south divide'  Posted: 18 Jul 2006 10:17:42 GMT
A booming property sector in London and the south-east has caused the gap between house prices in the north and in the south to open again.

Average house price 'set to approach £300,000  Posted: 18 Jul 2006 10:15:20 GMT
A new report by Oxford Economic Forecasting (OEF) suggests that the average home will cost almost £300,000 by 2011.

Homebuyers 'need efficient assistance'  Posted: 17 Jul 2006 10:44:39 GMT
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) suggests that there needs to be more efficiency and focus when dishing out assistance to struggling first-time buyers.

High demand sends house prices soaring  Posted: 17 Jul 2006 10:41:16 GMT
The period from early June to early July saw asking prices for houses in England and Wales rising at their quickest annual pace for more than a year.

Ruth Kelly sets out commitment to housing  Posted: 14 Jul 2006 10:40:40 GMT
In a letter to the prime minister, Ruth Kelly has outlined her ambitions for her new role and has highlighted some of the most pressing issues that she will face.

Summer slowdown for property market  Posted: 14 Jul 2006 10:37:32 GMT
A new report based on the six major UK house price indices has concluded that the market is beginning to slow.

Report blasts 'lying' Hip critics  Posted: 13 Jul 2006 10:56:25 GMT
A new report has slammed the "irresponsible" critics of Home Information Packs (Hips), claiming that they are deliberately misleading the public.

Man trades paperclip for a house  Posted: 13 Jul 2006 10:54:57 GMT
A Canadian man has followed an unorthodox route to homeownership by trading a red paperclip for a house.

Scrapping Hips would be 'huge setback'  Posted: 12 Jul 2006 10:11:18 GMT
Postponing or abandoning the introduction of Home Information Packs (Hips) would cost consumers more than £300 million a year, according to a new report.

Bristol emerges as investment hotspot  Posted: 12 Jul 2006 10:06:57 GMT
The property market in Bristol is reportedly booming, with major regeneration making it a hotspot for investors.

Hips dismissed as 'pointless'  Posted: 11 Jul 2006 10:11:25 GMT
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has once again criticised Home Information Packs (Hips) arguing that they will fail to achieve their primary objective.

Apartments getting cheaper  Posted: 11 Jul 2006 10:09:08 GMT
The average price for a new apartment in the UK fell by one per cent in June in spite of an overall shortage of properties on the market.

Report points to bleak future for city apartments  Posted: 10 Jul 2006 11:34:37 GMT
Often seen as the ideal choice for young, wealthy professionals, city apartments are apparently struggling to attract buyers.

London house prices stall in June  Posted: 10 Jul 2006 11:33:03 GMT
After months of solid growth, house prices in London fell by one per cent in June, according to a new report.

House prices fall in June  Posted: 07 Jul 2006 11:01:43 GMT
After months of significant increases, house prices are thought to have fallen by 1.2 per cent in June.

Scottish house sellers enjoying strong demand  Posted: 07 Jul 2006 11:00:31 GMT
House prices in Scotland have reportedly increased by almost 11 per cent in the last 12 months, with sellers enjoying extraordinary demand.

Buy-to-let sector faces up to HMO regulation  Posted: 06 Jul 2006 09:48:18 GMT
The grace period for adhering to new regulations for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) is now over, leaving the buy-to-let sector with a number of key considerations.

House price growth stutters in England  Posted: 06 Jul 2006 09:47:07 GMT
The average UK house price has increased by 4.8 per cent in the last 12 months, but England is lagging behind its neighbours with growth of just 3.6 per cent.

Housing market sentiment soars  Posted: 05 Jul 2006 10:52:37 GMT
There is new evidence today that the UK housing market is buoyant, with consumer confidence seemingly high.

High praise for Britain's builders  Posted: 05 Jul 2006 10:51:07 GMT
British builders have not always had the greatest of reputations, but a new report seems to suggest that their efforts are now being appreciated.

Supporters slam criticism of Hips  Posted: 04 Jul 2006 10:20:59 GMT
A highly critical report on Home Information Packs (Hips) has been dismissed by supporters of the initiative, who claim that the findings are "simply nonsense".

Brits choosing 'apartment-style living'  Posted: 04 Jul 2006 10:20:05 GMT
New evidence suggests that Brits are beginning to prefer apartments over other housing options.

The affordability crisis for the over-50s  Posted: 03 Jul 2006 10:34:23 GMT
New research suggests that nearly a quarter of those in their 50s cannot afford to purchase a home.

Housing market shows signs of volatility  Posted: 03 Jul 2006 10:32:54 GMT
The property market in the UK has enjoyed a period of relative buoyancy in the first half of 2006, but a new report has also observed evidence of fragility.

UK PROPERTY NEWS: Archives

2008 October
2008 September
2008 August
2008 July
2008 June
2008 May
2008 April
2008 March
2008 February
2008 January
2007 December
2007 November
2007 October
2007 September
2007 August
2007 July
2007 June
2007 May
2007 April
2007 March
2007 February
2007 January
2006 December
2006 November
2006 October
2006 September
2006 August
2006 July
2006 June
2006 May
2006 April
2006 March